The collapsing tower
By Chinwe Nwacha, Onitsha
Crisis is currently rocking traders at Ugwuagba Obosi Electrical market, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, following fear of collapsing security tower which prompted the petitioning of Anambra State Urban Development Board, ASUDEB, by one of the traders, Brother Chekwube Nwankwo, (a. k. a. Okolobia Jesus).
Expressing fear of possible collapse, Brother Nwankwo, who will be the major victim in the event of collapse of the tower, told newsmen that he had pleaded to three successive administrations to come to his rescue by demolishing the collapsing tower as a stitch in time saves nine but to no avail.
"When I then approached the present administration led by Chief John Bosco Onunkwo, he said that the market has no money to embark on such for now and I have no other option than to invite ASUDEB because the lives of my entire household, myself and wares are in danger.
"The leadership now sees my inviting ASUDEB as a slight on them and started to threaten me that they will revoke my shop allocation paper even as ASUDEB has assured of demolishing the tower on or before 18 day of July 2024 and directed that wares be cleared within the tower location to avoid damages.
"The nature of my business doesn't call for building of shops to house my wares and that is why they are in the open space and I have my allocation documents to back up my claim that I procured the space when the former market chairman, Chief Benjamin Orji, was the chairman.
"I am a peacemaker and have headed the prayer group of the market for about nine consecutive years until now that the incumbent chairman comes on board and directed that another person, Brother Onyechi Emmanuel, takes over from me as part of retaliatory actions lined up against me for exposing certain ills being perpetrated in the market and inviting ASUDEB into the market," he further disclosed.
In a swift reaction when contacted, the market chairman, Onunkwo collaborated the claim of Nwankwo that the tower is collapsing but denied allegation of revocation of shop and others, adding that he pleaded to him to carry on with the demolition exercise and present his cost for refund as the market has no money for such gigantic project for now.
The chairman who spoke through his vice, Chief Vincent Mgbike, blamed successive administrations in the market for the present condition of the market especially on finance and retrogression adding that most of the market expenditures are from individual contributions of the executives.
"Chief Nwankwo despite the pleas, went ahead and invited Government through ASUDEB into the market and now ASUDEB has honoured his invitation and directed him to clear the wares within the tower for the demolition exercise. So let him bear the pain/loss of his invitation because his wares are heavy duty machineries that are brought in with cranes," he stated.
On alleged plot to revoke his shop he stated that, "Nobody is interested in his business and he has even blocked the line there with his wares until now that he exposed the market to Government and the same Government has directed him to remove his wares for the demolition. This is a sacrifice he would have earlier made when chairman pleaded to him to do so because he knows what he benefits from there, he doesn't pay for rent.
"Nobody is threatening or fighting him, let him present allocation paper of his shop/space. Like I said he is the architect of his own misfortune by inviting ASUDEB," he posited.
Earlier, the pioneer chairman of the market, Chief Innocent Muojekwu lamented that this issue would have been amicably settled but for the stubbornness of Nwankwo, adding that all agreed that the tower is collapsing and that because the market has no money that Nwankwo should do the needful by demolishing/renovating and be refunded the cost but he refused and instead invited ASUDEB.
"It is Nwankwo that is now wasting time because ASUDEB he invited has given him time to evacuate his wares for the demolition as he demanded," he disclosed.
On threat of shop revocation Chief Muojekwu reiterated that, "Nobody is giving him any threat, let him present the allocation papers of the shops or space given to him by former market chairman, Chief Benjamin Orji, the document will tell us if he procured the entire place he is presently occupying or not, simple," he further added.
Also on sack of Nwankwo as coordinator of prayer group, Chief Muojekwu lamented that some people have turned the altar and religion as means of attacking passived enemies adding that altar of God should not be used for selfish interest.
A former chairman, Peace and Reconciliation committee, Chief Oguka Kamsoluchukwu, agreed with others that the tower is collapsing even as he disclosed that the place being occupied by Nwankwo was procured as dump site and because of the nature of Nwankwo's business he does not want to build shops there.
",Our problem in the market is that the leadership rules with high handedness, divide and rule system of government and if you challenge them they attack you.Brother Nwankwo campaigned for the incumbent chairman and he won because he was interested in the affairs of traders until he joined some elders/BOT members that feel they own the market and say what happens
"Some of them are good and some are bad and because Brother Nwankwo is always vocal against the ills being perpetrated in the market as a man of God, they now go after him.
"The question is, 'will he allow the tower to collapse and kill him and family before he will ask for rescue from government since the market said it has no money to demolish it and Nwankwo too has no money?
"So it is an act of wickedness to ask him to do the needful when the wherewithal is not there. If the catastrophe happens those who will be happy will be the first to call and sympathize, that is our market for you. Where some elders see themselves as mini gods" he stated.
"I was once their victim because I condemned the illegal activities going on in the market. Some of the so called elders have put the market in retrogressive condition for over a decade and they refuse truth to reign," he lamented.
The secretary of the market, Chinedu Ezibe, in his reaction, recalled that the embattled Nwankwo was in good terms with the incumbent chairman to the extent that on the order of the chairman that Nwankwo was the one that swore in the incumbent chairman and his executives and was even appointed by the chairman as a member of the market recovery committee.
He expressed worry over the misunderstanding and called for amicable settlement of the crisis adding that Nwankwo's refusal to withdraw his petition to ASUDEB as demanded by the market leadership, elders, BOT members and patrons triggered off the crisis that now metamorphosed into ugly situation.
Contributing, the successor to Nwankwo's prayer group, Brother Onyechi Emmanuel, collaborated the view of all that spoke that Nwankwo has been crying over fear of tower collapse and urged Nwankwo to present the allocation paper of his shop as demanded assuring him that nobody will revoke his shop unless if there is need for him to be ejected or his shop allocation revoked, that due compensation must be paid adding that the worth now is higher than when he obtained the shop.
"He called me on this tower issue and the matter has gone too far because Brother Nwankwo is stubborn as he refused to withdraw the petition to ASUDEB and the elders of the market and BOTs saw it as a slight. The tower issue is more than meet the eyes between the market chairman and Brother Nwankwo," he further disclosed.
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